Life Changing
by mcangel1976
Summary: Haruhi's life is about to change. She was trying to deal with it all herself, but suddenly Kyoya showed up when she needed him the most. She should have known she couldn't keep anything from the Shadow King, especially when she went to an Ootori hospital. (I'm not sure if this will be a one shot or longer, so keeping it open for now).
1. You're Not Alone

**Disclaimer: I don't own Ouran High School Host Club or its characters, but I do love to use them in my fanfictions.**

 **A/N: About a year ago, a good friend of mine found out he had cancer. The doctors have come back and told him that it is incurable and he has less than a year. He is still fighting and I keep hoping the doctors are wrong. I know I have other stories I need to work on, but I needed to write this. I have known several people and family members who have fought the battle: some lost and some won. For those who have battled cancer or had a family member or friend battle cancer, this is for you. Thanks CrazyKitCat for listening to me, telling me to write it out, and for talking baseball with me. I needed it. For those that are reading this story, I apologize now if it is not my normal upbeat story. Thank you for always encouraging me and for reading my stories.**

Chapter 1 - You're Not Alone

Haruhi sat there dumbfounded unable to say anything. This couldn't be right. This couldn't be real. The doctors had to be wrong about this! This couldn't be happening to her! But even her logical mind and her own eyes could not refute what was laid out before her, and this was to be her new reality.

Her eyes darted to her right. Plastered on the wall of lights, her mammogram stared back at her, the mass that should not be there, glaringly white and solid. A biopsy confirmed everything and now they were talking about next steps. She was sitting across from the doctor as he talked to her the he would any other patient, and she wanted to scream. This wasn't Sunday tea! This wasn't a simple conversation! Her whole life was about to change. Didn't he understand that? How could he be so calm when she felt ready to either throw-up or panic, maybe even both?

"-ioka? Fujioka-san?" The doctor calmly called out to his patient. He had seen that same expression many times before, and yet, it never got easier; especially when it happened to one so young who still had so much life to live. She had come alone today, whether because she was afraid of what she would hear or because she didn't feel an entourage was necessary for something so minor...regardless the reason, at this moment, he didn't want to continue with his news, and he wished she had someone beside her to hold her hand, to tell her she wasn't alone, and to offer some sort of support. From experience, he knew she would not want his comfort. "Fujioka-san, do you want me to call someone?"

The faces of her father and her six friends came to mind, but she immediately shook her head, "No." Her voice sounded strained and small, hoarse and weak. Clearing her throat, she began again, "No, I'll be fine." Did the doctor believe her lie, because she couldn't convince herself enough to believe it.

"Are you sure?"

"Sensei!" She held her breath and tried to calm herself down. It had not been her intention to snap at him, he was only worried about her well-being, but this was not something she had been prepared for, and therefore, she was not ready to share it with her friends. Her actions were so out of character, and she even lied to her own father and told him the appointment had been moved to the next day. Would everyone look at her differently now? Would they treat her like an invalid? She didn't want anything to change, but at the same time, it felt like her whole world had stopped and reversed itself overnight. Everything was about to change. She tried again, "Sorry, but please continue."

He nodded slowly, giving into her wishes, "All right. As I stated, we got the mass out, but that does not mean that all of the cancer cells have been eliminated. I want to start you on chemotherapy and based on the type of cancer you have, I also want to do a round of radiation after you have completed your first round of chemo."

"First round? Will there be multiple rounds? Do I need a mastectomy?"

Taking his glasses off, he gently laid them on his desk and said sadly, "I'm sorry, but yes. Although we caught the cancer early enough, it was more than just the mass. As for the mastectomy…yes."

"Okay. What else?"

"After the radiation, you will do another round of chemo. We will constantly monitor you and how well you are responding to treatment. I will also say that we are treating you aggressively and will be with you every step of the way. I have consulted with my partner and he is in agreement."

"I want…I want a second opinion," she stumbled over her words still in shock over the news she received.

"Of course. Personally, when it is something of this nature, I think it is always normal to want to get one and if it were me, I would want one as well. I trust in my abilities, but I can understand your position."

"I'll…" she stopped at a loss for words as her eyes filled with tears.

Again, the doctor wished she had someone with her. This was not easy to go through alone and if she had someone it might make things easier. Never before had he been relieved than at that single moment when a small knock came through the solid wood door. "Excuse me for a moment."

A few minutes later the door opened again, however, the person who entered was not her doctor. Taking a seat next to his friend, Kyoya spoke, "If you truly wanted this to be kept a secret, you should have picked a different hospital."

Her head snapped up and tears were still flowing down her cheeks as she hiccupped, "Kyoya-senpai?"

"I figured you may not want the others here, and keeping Tamaki in line right now would even try my patience and skills, however, I could not in good conscious allow you to attend alone."

"My dad could have been here."

"That is true, but I called him earlier and he said you were at the library studying trying to take your mind off of tomorrow's appointment."

"Did you tell the others that...?"

"I have told them nothing. They don't even know that something was found. Although, I am a bit offended that you would even hide something like this from us."

"I just didn't want…"

"We will discuss this later," he stated holding up his hand.

"How did you find out?"

"You are at my family's hospital, of course I would find out. In addition, I was here to discuss something with my brother, Yuuichi, and saw the file on his desk. He had been consulted about your case by your doctor. He wasn't going to tell me anything, however, once I knew something was going on, it didn't take that much to obtain the rest of the information. I will leave it to you on when to tell the others, but I would recommend sooner rather than later."

"And if I don't, will you tell them for me?"

"No. I will keep your secret, but I think you need to tell them. As Tamaki says, we are your friends, we are a family, and we are here for you. You really shouldn't have to go through this alone."

"I thought…I thought it wouldn't be anything major, but now…"

He wasn't sure why he did it, but he grabbed her hand and squeezed, "Now this isn't just a minor procedure."

"No."

Another knock at the door and the doctor stuck his head in and asked, "Is everything all right in here?" When he had exited his office and found the third son of the Ootori family standing in his waiting room, he had been more than a little shocked. This was the last person he expected to see, and then to find out he was there for Haruhi…needless to say, the doctor was surprised.

"Yes, sensei, please continue," Kyoya answered and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

The doctor felt as if he needed to walk on egg shells and if he made one mistake, he would be swimming with the fishes. Clearing his throat as he sat behind his desk again, he stated, "As I was telling Fujioka-san, we will do a mastectomy followed by chemo followed by radiation followed by another round of chemo. We will monitor her closely and will do everything we can for her. I also want you to see a nutritionist. They will be able to help you with a diet that will benefit you during this time."

Kyoya felt the grip on his hand tighten and he asked, "Doctor, what are her chances?"

"We were able to catch it early enough and got the mass out, however, this is still cancer we are dealing with. I do believe the odds are in her favor though and she should be able to beat this. She has stated she wants a second opinion, I assume you will provide her with names she can call?"

"Yes, I will schedule the appointments for her." He knew using his name would open doors that Haruhi alone could not open, and he and the other hosts would do almost anything for her. They all loved her and although she was still oblivious, choosing to still concentrate on her studies during her second year of university, at least four of the hosts hoped she would get a clue and pick one of them someday.

"Very well."

"When did you plan on starting her treatments?"

"I am sending her to the lab from here and then I want to schedule surgery for as soon as possible."

"Will I lose my hair?" Haruhi questioned, her head bent and she was looking at her lap.

Kyoya could feel how her hand trembled and sweated, and he wanted to comfort her, but was not exactly sure how to do that.

"There is a possibility that you will lose your hair. Your energy, libido, and appetite will also be affected."

Her face cringed as she mumbled, "I'm not worried about the libido."

They stayed in the office and discussed everything for another half hour, and then, still holding each other's hands, they left. Haruhi hadn't wanted anyone to know, hadn't wanted anyone there, and yet, she was relieved when Kyoya had arrived. Maybe she did need someone there with her today.

"I should charge you for keeping secrets," Kyoya grumbled as he walked towards the lab with his friend.

"Sorry. I just…"

"I know. And just so you know, although I am still in medical school, you can always talk to me about anything or ask questions. I do know quite a bit, my brother is a doctor, and my family owns hospitals. You will be taken care of."

"Thank you, senpai."

"Will you tell the others?"

"I don't have much of a choice. They will know something is going on and I would rather they hear it from me."

"Are you scared?"

Haruhi stayed silent for a few minutes and just as they arrived at the lab, she answered, "I am. I'm afraid of leaving my father and all of you. I'm afraid of losing my life. I'm afraid of losing everything. I don't want anything to change, but it is. What if I can't finish school? What if I…?" She couldn't say the word die.

"We will help you face each challenge as it comes, and you will not be alone in this. Life is about change, and I promise you, you will finish school, you will become a lawyer, and you will have everything you ever wanted in life."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because I do," he smirked and pushed up his glasses causing her to smile slightly. He actually wasn't sure and he couldn't guaranty anything, but he would do his damndest to make sure it happened just like that.

There was something comforting in his declaration and she took hold of that, would continue to hold it during her journey, and she would cherish his words long into the future.

And when she finally told her friends and father, there were tears, there were words exchanged, but most of all, there was love. Haruhi knew she would not have to go through this alone. Her friends and father supported her and would be there for her every day; and while she was still scared, she was ready to fight.

The chemo would make her sick, she would lose her hair, the radiation would hurt, but in the end she would come out on top.


	2. Living, Fighting, Winning

**A/N: I decided to continue this story for two reasons. It didn't quite seem finished to me, and this is my therapy. I want to thank everyone that read, reviewed, followed, and favored this story. Your support and understanding means more to me than you will ever know. Enjoy the new chapter.**

Chapter 2 – Living, Fighting, Winning

Haruhi gave a hard look at her reflection in the mirror. Treatment had been hard on her mentally, emotionally, and physically. Now standing there in nothing but her panties, she could see how cancer and the subsequent treatment had ravaged her body. Two scars covered her chest where her breasts once sat, her ribs stuck out prominently as if she hadn't had a meal for a long time – although, she eats as often as she can, and makes sure to eat something every day – her skin had gone from ivory with a flushed undertone to an almost pale grey, and her hair had all fallen out.

At first, she tried to continue her studies while she underwent treatment for the dreaded disease, but she quickly found that it was not feasible to do what she needed to for her and to keep up with her studies; therefore, Kyoya helped her submit for a leave of absence. School would be waiting for her when she was strong enough. It was one of the things had kept her going, given her hope. She wanted to become a lawyer – it was her dream, and dreams were important. Making plans for an uncertain future was important, and although there were times when she didn't think she would survive, would make it through the poison that was injected into her body, and knowing she had a dream helped her to fight.

It wasn't the only thing that kept her going though. Her friends and father were there with her every step of the way. They encouraged her and supported her, and when she needed them the most, they held her up and carried her when she couldn't carry herself – physically and figuratively. That is not to say they jumped into the pool with both feet in the beginning. It had been a shock and there were a lot of tears shed. Thinking back on it all now, she wanted to laugh a little. They were so awkward and unsure. Tamaki had warned everyone not to mention the "C" word around her. The twins made her clothes to cheer her up shortly after her mastectomy, but they hadn't accounted for a change in her measurements. She started to tear up at the loss, Tamaki got onto the twins, Hikaru and Kaoru apologized profusely and were embarrassed and saddened on her behalf, Hunny offered her cake, Mori patted her head, and Kyoya…to everyone's surprise, he pulled her in for a hug and told her that she would get through this because she was a fighter. Of course he also told her, "If you do not fight and do everything you can, you debt will be so great that it will take you at least a hundred lifetimes to pay it off." Through her tears, she had laughed, and eventually, so did everyone else.

More than once, she had wanted to give up and give in, to stop the treatments, to end it, but her friends wouldn't allow her to pack it in just yet. When she was at her most depressed and her father could not reach her, Ranka would call her friends, and no matter what they were doing, no matter if they were in the middle of something, it would all be dropped and they would rush to her side. They took turns accompanying her to her treatments in the beginning, but that didn't last for long. Tamaki would cry when they stuck her and got depressed himself when he thought about what was being infused into her veins. The twins couldn't sit still very long and it hurt them to see their friend going through something like that, to deal with the aftermath of her chemo treatments. When she would get sick, they struggled to help her. And she couldn't blame them. Hunny had much of the same reaction as Hikaru and Kaoru, except when she got sick, he got sick as well. In the end, only Kyoya and Mori were able to help her on days she had chemo, but the others were there for her any other time.

Of course, they were hesitant around her. Unsure of what was okay to say and what wasn't. They watched their words and speech around her, but they couldn't stop the sad look in their eyes. Sometimes she thought they pitied her. Maybe they did because she wasn't the game girl that accidently walked into music room three years ago. They now treated her like glass. No more tug-o-war, no more fighting around her, and no more putting her body in danger. She was the china shop, and they had evolved to act like gentlemen instead of bulls. Was it weird that she wanted them to act like they once had?

She lifted her hand to her bald head. Once upon a time her hair matched that of her mother's. It wasn't that she was proud of her hair or flaunted it like some girls she knew, but it had been a connection with the mother she lost when she was young. The twins had gotten her a brown haired wig, but it wasn't the same thing. She wanted her hair, her own hair…her mother's hair. When it grew back, would it be the same brown it once was, or would it change? She had read and heard about several cases of hair changing after it fell out. Sometimes it was curlier, sometimes softer, and sometimes a different color. She didn't want it to be different, and was almost scared of what it would look like when it finally grew back.

Tears filled her eyes as she looked at herself, taking in everything, making note of the many changes of her body. She knew she needed to get dressed and ready to go because she had a doctor appointment and Kyoya and her father would be there soon to pick her up – her father had had to run up to the bar for a couple of hours – but she couldn't seem motivate herself. This was the first time in almost a year that she had taken a good hard look at herself, and she hated what she saw. In the past, she never cared what she looked like, however, today she cared. Cancer had stolen from her, and she hated it. Hated cancer, hated treatment, hated how she looked, hated how everything made her feel, and hated the looks of pity from some of her friends and others!

Maybe it wasn't that others felt pity towards her, but she pitied herself. Before she got sick, before a lump had been found, she never really cared what people thought of her or her appearance. And to a degree she still didn't care about others' opinions, however, she disliked the way she looked right now. She didn't care who the person was, when they went through everything she had and looked in the mirror to see their reflection, they would care how different their body had become. It felt as if she was in an alien body.

"Haruhi, are you ready to go?" Kyoya called from the other room after letting himself into the apartment.

Wiping away the tears that had fallen down her cheeks, she responded, "Not yet. I'll be out in a minute."

"Take your time." He could hear a small warble in her voice, which told him she had been crying. On more than one occasion he wished he could wave a magic wand and make the cancer disappear, to make everything as it once was, but he couldn't. Even some things were beyond his control. The audacious girl he had met in high school had changed. Her cheeks were no longer rosy, she had lost her hair and weight, and the sparkle in her eyes had started to dim, and yet, if one looked close enough, the glimmer was still there. She may be a shell of the person she once was, but he knew she would come back eventually and be a stronger more powerful woman…and he couldn't wait.

She threw on a t-shirt and jeans before walking out of her room and finding her friend sitting in the living room drinking some water, "Sorry about that Kyoya-senpai."

Hearing someone walking towards him, he tilted his head upwards and smiled, "Not to worry. I arrived a little earlier than we discussed. How are you feeling?" He could see how red her eyes were and the crust the saltwater had left on her lashes.

"I'm fine. Just ready for some good news," she stated softly as she sat next to him at the coffee table. She had finally finished the second round of chemo and today was the day she found out if they had gotten rid of the cancer, or if she still had a fight on her hands. Mentally, she wasn't sure she could go on. Oh she knew she would have to, but it was a daily challenge. There were cases that were more extreme than hers, people who were in situations where they were fighting an uphill battle, and she applauded them for their fight. Hers had been caught early, but she had been stage 2. Some people found the cancer when they were stage 3 or 4, so she had been lucky in a sense, but that didn't mean the fighting and the treatments hadn't taken their toll.

"I know you are, but remember that no matter what happens, you are not alone."

"I know, senpai. I don't think I would have been able to get through it if it hadn't been for you and the others."

His lips curled into another small smile, "You would have. You are one of the strongest and single minded people I know. You would have approached this with determination, just as you did, and you would have fought it with gusto."

"I don't know."

"Trust me."

She couldn't help but snicker, "Oh the almighty Shadow King once again knows everything."

"Of course. Do you expect anything less of me?"

"Not at all, senpai. Not at all."

Once her father arrived from the bar, the trio got into Kyoya's waiting car and drove to the hospital. All three were nervous, although, no one said that aloud. Holding their breath, they waited for the verdict to be handed down from the doctor, "The latest labs show…" The doctor paused and peered at his patient, a smile on his face, "You are in remission."

A collective sigh echoed through the room from everyone releasing their pent up air at the same time.

"Does that mean I'm cured?" Haruhi questioned as she squeezed Kyoya's hand. She wondered if she had heard correctly.

"We're going to have to monitor you closely in order to make sure everything stays as it is, but it means you are in remission and the cancer has been beaten." When he had to tell Haruhi the bad news almost a year ago, he had been on the verge of tears, and the appearance of Kyoya Ootori had been a shock, but today, the doctor wanted to weep for joy at the good news he was able to give his patient.

Unable to contain them, happy tears filled her eyes and flowed down her cheeks. Today was a good day.

Later that day, they would spread the news to her other friends and they would celebrate, and in a few months, she would once again pick up the torch and follow through on her dream. She survived and she would live each day as if it was a blessing and give thanks that she still lived.


End file.
